Cowabunga! It’s a Hawaii-themed Hyundai Kona
When mulling over a subcompact SUV, prospective buyers will often default to their favorite manufacturers’ latest and greatest.
In 2018, Hyundai planted a flag in the segment, coming to market with a big bang — the Hawaiian-themed Kona.
The Kona, with its loud and rad color combinations, features some great changes to the family-loving, mountain-viewing, sightseeing entry.
Safety is featured. The 2020 Kona brings automatic braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and rear parking sensors.
For drivers and passengers, treats include wireless charging, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a leather interior and heads-up display.
There’s certainly sufficient bang for the buck in the upgrades category.
Five model options are available on the 2020 Kona: the SE, SEL and SEL Plus all come standard with the suitable 2.0-liter, four-cylinder motor at 147 hp. The Limited — and our Pulse Red tester, an Ultimate model — comes standard with a more-powerful 1.6-liter turbocharged GDI four-cylinder engine and a seven-speed EcoShift dual clutch transmission with drive select mode.
On our two-week test drive, we took the Kona across some great sightseeing tours of New England. The Kona delivered zero concerns while traveling on steep inclines or declines and accelerated well in traffic. Impressive is an understatement — the Kona really provided a great overall feel. The interior provides an easy-to-navigate 7-inch display on SE, SEL and SEL Plus, and the Limited and Ultimate have an t-inch display, all standard with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In the subcompact SUV category, the Kona matches up well to the Honda HR-V, the Mazda CX-3 and the Ford EcoSport.
The safety, interior and features are definitely above its competitors. The traditional exterior fits right in with its competition.
Hyundai still provides America’s best warranty in the market with a 10year/100,000-mile powertrain, five-year roadside assistance, and a fiveyear/60,000-mile warranty, all pretty significant considering the inexpensive price tag the Kona provides.
Overall, the Kona is a wave-maker and one that Hyundai will ride for years to come.